Synthesis and optical properties of poly[(4-(benzoxazole-2-yl)phenyl)methyl methacrylate] with 1,8-naphthalimide end group

A series of homopolymers,poly[(4-(benzoxazole-2-yl)phenyl)methyl methacrylate] (NAPH-PMABEs) containing benzoxazole side chain and 1,8-naphthalimide end group,were prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and end-group modification. The structure of NAPH-PMABE was char-acterized by GPC,1H-NMR and UV-vis spectra. The polymer has good solubility in common organic solvents,such as dichloromethane (CH2Cl2),tetrahydrofuran (THF),N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF),chloroform (CHCl3),acetone and toluene. The optical properties of NAPH-PMABE were investigated. Results show that NAPH-PMABE has a composite emission spectrum comprising an ultraviolet com-ponent originating from benzoxazole side chains and a green component originating from 1,8-naphthalimide end group in both solution and film. The intensity of the two emission bands can be easily tuned by changing molecular weight.